Reading the way to Revolution

I am so proud of the young women working with a local nonprofit that trains young social justice activists. Over the years, I've written a few columns about Sisters In Actionfor Power . These young women are having an annual fundraiser, book reading and a presentation on this question: What is the impact of the nonprofit structure on grassroots movement building?

Members of Sisters in Action have contributed to this book: Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond The Non-Profit Industrial Complex, edited by INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence, to discus the challenges of doing social justice work in non-profit structures and strategies to address those challenges.

The book reading is:

Aug. 20, 2007 - 6:30 p.m.
In Other Words Bookstore
8 NE Killingsworth

Presenters include:Alisa Bierria is currently on the national steering committee of INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence, a national activist organization of radical feminists of color advancing a movement to end violence and oppression against women of color and our communities, and a member of Communities Against Rape and Abuse (CARA), a vibrant anti-rape organizing project in Seattle.

Amara Perez is the former Executive Director of Sisters in Action for Power. After 11 years, Perez passed the Executive Director torch to a long-time youth member who, along with two other long-time youth leaders, has taken over as Sisters in Action's full staff team.

Emi Koyama is a multi-issue social justice activist synthesizing feminist, Asian, survivor, dyke, queer, sex worker, intersex, gender queer, and crip politics, as these factors, while not a complete descriptor of who she is, all impacted her life. Emi is putting the emi back in feminism with her website/blog at www.eminism.org.

Sisters in Action is an 11-year old, community based organization dedicated to developing the leadership, organizing and critical analysis skills of low income women and girls of color, ages 10-18, in North and Northeast Portland. If you have questions, call Courtney Jones at (503) 331-1244.